What I Want: Marvel June 08 Solicitations

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #561
They say a picture's worth a thousand words... Well, for Peter Parker, the right picture is worth a million bucks! And what he does with it is really gonna change his life! This is a big one, Spidey Fans! We've got shake ups and break ups! Fake outs and freak outs! And a fight to the finish with one of Spider-Man's strangest foes: the fiendishly foldable PAPER DOLL! Miss this one, Marvelite, and you'll miss out on the BEST mystery guest of the YEAR! Here's a hint...she's a redhead!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #562
It's Web-Slinger vs. Wall-Crawler as artist extraordinaire Mike McKone (FF, The Exiles) joins writer Bob Gale to answer the question – who is “The Other Spider-Man?” It ain't comin' down to another clone saga is it? If so, send all complaints to 1994!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #563
Remember that joke that starts, “So Spider-Man walks into a bar, and…?” Well, when it’s the villain-filled Bar With No Name, it’s no joke – it’s a barroom brawl as only Mike McKone can draw it! And that’s only the beginning of one of the most maddening nights in Spidey’s life! Throw in The Enforcers, The Bookie, and a climax at Coney Island, and you’ve got a recipe for the nuttiest Spider-Man story this year. Gale didn’t tell us what he was drinking when he wrote it, but it must have been pretty good stuff!

These are for the thirteen-year-old but I'm kind of looking forward to seeing what they're like as well. I presumably have a better appreciation for Spider-Man than I did before reading him in New Avengers, although possibly not if the interactions I saw there are now moot because of the secret identity thing. We'll see. Will reading Spider-Man on a regular basis make me more of a "true Marvelite," I wonder... :)


AVENGERS/INVADERS #2 (of 12)
The cross-time team-up of the year continues with the award winning team behind EARTH X, Justice and Project: Superpowers! With World War II's greatest heroes mysteriously transported to 2008, it takes the Mighty Avengers to bring them in before the world realizes that the Invaders are back…including the original Captain America. But will Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. have enough firepower to hold them…or do the Invaders have everyone just where they want them?

I really suspect this would have been a more enjoyable outing if the Skrull thing wasn't going on as well, mainly because I imagine we'll miss some interesting stuff because too much time and space will be taken up with "oooh, but what if they're Skrulls!" (which, as we all know by now, gets old real fast). Still, getting it, looking forward to it.


CAPTAIN AMERICA #39
Okay, what the heck is going on here? Is that two guys in Captain America outfits? Yeah, it is.
More than that, we cannot say.

Top of my list, every month.


MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS #25
You're smart. DARN smart. You're so ahead of the curve, you've had your head removed and let your face be broadcast by a tv screen in your chest. That's not just smart, that's Arnim Zola Smart. And if the Avengers try to go up against that, well you can just switch their minds around so they don't know what to do with themselves. Oh Zola, you make M.O.D.O.C. look like a common street thug!

This is for the nine-year-old, but I'm quite looking forward to seeing the Marvel Adventures take on Arnim Zola.


MYTHOS: CAPTAIN AMERICA
Written by PAUL JENKINS
Art and Cover by PAOLO RIVERA
He may be dead, but now you can find out how the man became the legend! Mythos revisits Steve Rogers’
transformation from a weakling with a heart of steel to the Sentinel of Liberty! From the mind of Paul Jenkins and the stunning art of Paolo Rivera comes the origin of CAPTAIN AMERICA!

So is this a series, "Mythos?" In any case, it looks potentially interesting, and at least Cap's origin doesn't have to be retconned in nasty ways the way everyone else's does.


MOON KNIGHT #19
The execution will be televised! Black Spectre’s ingenious plan to destroy Moon Knight enters its final phase. As the whole world watches on high-def TV, Moon Knight faces a no-win situation. He’s already the poster child for super hero recklessness, but after this, he’ll either be dead…or Public Enemy Number One.

I don't know, on the whole I kind of prefer Moon Knight when he's kind of away from the rest of the Marvel Universe. Still, I do want to see what happens to him--he's a compelling character, although I don't think I've been this interested in a book about a guy I really don't like since Irredeemable Ant-Man.


SECRET INVASION #3 (of 8)
THE BLOCKBUSTER EVENT continues. Its Avenger versus Avenger. Hero versus hero! Norman Osborn versus Captain Marvel?? The Initiative versus an army of Super-Skrulls? Is Tony Stark really a- -? And who's that guy with an eye patch coming to save the day?? And, oh man, who did he bring with him?

Yeah, yeah, getting this one. I'm hoping that this solicitation is misleading and the book is not focused on seeing which hero wins in various battles. Oh, and yes, Tony Stark really is a dick. Or isn't that what they're asking? :)


MIGHTY AVENGERS #15
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO-----? Rewinding the clock to Avengers Dissassembled we reveal how one of the main players in SECRET INVASION was replaced by a Skrull and what the fallout has been. A major SECRET INVASION chapter is here! Oh, but you want to know exactly who we're talking about right? Spoilers, dude!

Well, I clearly don't know who the "main players" are, but I did read Dissassembled and I suppose there were quite a few opportunities there. Just don't make it Hawkeye, please? :(


NEW AVENGERS #42
THE EMPIRE part 3. For 42 issues readers of New Avengers have wondered, who caused the breakout in New Avengers #1 and why? And how was this the real start of the SECRET INVASION? Find out right here!!

Well, to be honest, I'd pretty much forgotten about the breakout and don't care a whole lot at this point (42 issues is a long time, people) but I'll read it anyway. :)


AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #14
"We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us!"
During the INFILTRATION, a Skrull at the heart of the Camp Hammond said these words: "It won't be long until we have a Skrull in every state! "Now that Skrull stands revealed and the fate of The Initiative, the United States, and Planet Earth hang in the balance. Plus: Former Avenger, Delroy Garret, assumes the mantle and arsenal of Earth's greatest Skrull-Hunter, THE 3-D MAN. He's here to chew bubblegum and kick some Skrull-@$$. And he's all out of bubblegum.

We get it anyway, and I suppose I can wait out the Skrull thing here as well as anywhere else.


SECRET INVASION: RUNAWAYS/YOUNG AVENGERS #1 (of 3)
The Skrulls are invading and the Runaways and the Young Avengers both have a Skrull on their team. Coincidence? We think not. You two favorite teen teams come together again as the Marvel U is pushed to the brink.

I mentioned this one to the family and the reaction was "Oh cool!" so we're getting it.


CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI: 13 #2
The Skrulls are winning in England. Their mysterious goal there could turn the tide of the invasion. The emergence of the fabled sword Excalibur (once again locked in stone) may lead to salvation. But who can claim the mythic weapon? Pete Wisdom? Spitfire? John the Skrull? The Black Knight ? And what is the fate of Captain Britain?

Looks all right. I like most of the characters being used. Hope it's good.


MS. MARVEL #28
The SECRET INVASION is here and the Battle for Manhattan has begun. Earth's heroes have been scattered, New York City is under siege and only one hero is left to stand up for humanity -- Carol Danvers -- going to war. All of the frustrations, drama and insecurities of Ms. Marvel's life lead up to this as she takes on an invading horde of Super-Skrulls...and don’t put money on anyone green getting out alive!

Again, looks all right.


MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: SECRET INVASION
The infiltration is complete. The SECRET INVASION has begun. Who do you trust? Among the oldest baddies in the Marvel Universe, the Skrulls have decided that now is the time to strike. As the true extent of this infiltration is revealed, and the identities of the heroes the intergalactic shape-shifters have taken over are brought to light, the suspense will be palpable. MARVEL SPOTLIGHT celebrates this eight-part event by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Yu with an in-depth account of all things Skrull, featuring insider interviews with the creators involved in SECRET INVASION and its various crossover titles. We'll be criss-crossing Marvel history to tie together all the intrigue and plot twists that will make SECRET INVASION the comics event of the summer! You can trust us on that. You do trust us, don't you?

I'm actually undecided on this one, but the thirteen-year-old likes this sort of thing, so the deciding vote will be hers and whether she cares one bit about Secret Invasion. :)


THE LAST DEFENDERS #4 (of 6)
After leading a rogue Defenders team into battle, Nighthawk comes face to face with Tony Stark and Henry Gyrich – and…well…they’re not called the LAST Defenders for nothing! But can the Defenders get it in gear for one last battle as the mysterious Yandroth makes his move? And what roles do KRANG and the SON OF SATAN play in the Defenders ultimate chapter?

I actually have a bit of a soft spot for Henry Gyrich, dating back to the days when the Avengers had to work with him to retain their government ties. He started out as a stereotypical government bureaucrat but did eventually evolve somewhat (only somewhat, of course).


SHE-HULK #30
From the pages of INCREDIBLE HERCULES comes…yeah, you guessed it, Hercules! The Lion of Olympus, still wanted for crimes against S.H.I.E.L.D., collides with our bounty-hunting She-Hulk. The question is, given these two combustible characters’ current mindset and situation with the law, will they meet as longtime friends…or bitter foes?

She-Hulk is generally enjoyable, Hercules is generally entertaining, this ought to be at the least readable.


YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS #6 (of 6)
Kate Bishop wants to be a hero. Kate Bishop wants to be a leader. Kate wants to be strong, and proud, and true to her calling. Kate just wants to take care of everybody. Kate just wants to be friends. Kate wants to be stronger than all this. Kate Bishop never wanted anything more than she wants to be a Young Avenger. Kate Bishop wants to be Hawkeye. Here, she finally comes face to face with Clint Barton. Now Kate's gonna have to fight for each and every thing that she wants...especially her name. Wanting something can be miles away from actually earning it.

It sounds decent (despite the rather pretentious solicitation text), but obviously I'm not going to be skipping just the last issue of a mini regardless :).


YOUNG X-MEN #3
It’s the Young X-Men vs. the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! A traitor is revealed and the casualties mount as the team goes to battle. We hope there are Young X-Men left when the smoke clears.

Hoping this one makes a decent replacement for New X-Men for the kid.